Pages

Search

2015-01-16

Photos - My Neighbor Totoro

Even though I've been running Ghibli Blog for nearly a decade, I never spend nearly enough time talking about My Neighbor Totoro. You'd think I would take the hint and spend my every waking moment talking about Hayao Miyazaki's most famously-known movie. So here are several screenshots from one of my favorite scenes, where Mei tumbles into Totoro's lair.

I'm always impressed at how the little girl climbs onto the belly of a giant monster, and she's not afraid at all. It's the monster who's scared of her. He just sits there, silently staring, slightly puzzled. And then he goes back to sleep.

I can't think of an American animated feature that would portray such a meeting with such gentleness and quietness. The overwhelming temptation by the Hollywood studios would be a) make the big Totoro scary and frightening; b) play the scene for slapstick comedy; c) have Totoro voiced by some loud-mouthed comedian who wants to be Robin Williams; or d) have Totoro voiced by Robin Williams.

Thank God Hayao Miyazaki doesn't work in Hollywood. And Thank God for the background artist, Kazuo Oga. The artwork in this scene is absolutely gorgeous. Yeah, I really should be writing more about My Neighbor Totoro.

Recent Comments

Zen Arcade: Classic Video Game Reviews

Pop Life

Essays on film & television, music & audio, video games, politics and life. Paperback and eBook editions.

Greatest Hits: An Anthology in Four Volumes

Essays on Studio Ghibli, film, music and video games. Paperback and eBook editions.

Horus, Prince of the Sun

1968 anime milestone by Isao Takahata. I wrote/edited the subtitles and four essays, assembled the production gallery, recorded two audio commentaries (BD/DVD), wrote the press release, and fought to preserve the proper movie title.

Antes De Mi Vecino Miyazaki

Book about Hayao Miyazaki & Isao Takahata, published in Spain. I wrote the introduction.

Mi Vecino Miyazaki

Book on Studio Ghibli, Miyazaki, Takahata, published in Spain. I wrote a capsule review.